Balthazar's Dream

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Visit a wonderfully peculiar dog's dream in a heroic attempt to save your owner in this beautiful pixel art puzzle platformer.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

46%

Audience ScoreBased on 31 reviews

story16 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features charming pixel art and an endearing story about a dog's relationship with its owner.
It offers a variety of gameplay challenges and mechanics that keep the experience engaging, along with generous checkpoints.
Despite its flaws, many players found the game to be a fun and enjoyable platformer, especially for dog lovers.

The controls can feel floaty and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The level design and mechanics are inconsistent, with some sections feeling poorly executed and leading to unfair deaths.
The story, while touching, is criticized for being poorly written and overly convoluted, detracting from the overall experience.

story
36 mentions
44 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally seen as charming and touching, particularly in its portrayal of the bond between a dog and his boy, though it is criticized for being simplistic and poorly written at times. While the narrative starts off dark and dreamy, it evolves into a more lighthearted tone, especially in the later levels, which many players found engaging and rewarding. Despite its shortcomings, the story's conclusion is praised as a highlight, making the overall experience worthwhile for those who persevere through the initial gameplay challenges.
- “But I'm glad I didn't, because it does get better in both gameplay and story - and the later sections and ending are surely worth the while.”
- “The game is very fun as a platformer and its story is quite adorable.”
- “Great pixel art and what looked to be a touching story about the relationship between a dog and his boy initially drew me to Balthazar's Dream.”
- “I think the story was the biggest letdown.”
- “None of this adds anything to the story, and each sentence is somehow more insane and poorly written than the last.”
- “The game is a tad short, and the story is simple, but it's acceptable as the perspective of a dog.”
gameplay
24 mentions
25 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it initially clunky and uninspiring, particularly criticizing the core platforming mechanics and the confusing 'fear' mechanic. However, there are notable improvements as the game progresses, with some players appreciating the unexpected gameplay twists and the stronger challenges in later levels. Overall, while the gameplay starts off weak, it reportedly becomes more engaging and rewarding towards the end.
- “But I'm glad I didn't give up, because it does get better in both gameplay and story - and the later sections and ending are surely worth the while.”
- “Unexpected level: after the fast-paced finale of the previous level, there's a gameplay twist that comes just in time to slow things down a little.”
- “I'd say the core of the game is in the second level (the challenges of the dreamy forest, etc.), but it was a nice surprise to see the changes in tone and gameplay towards the end.”
- “However, gameplay is a little uninspiring at first.”
- “I could not understand or get the hang of the game mechanics at all.”
- “The main core mechanic, which is... well... platforming... sucks.”
music
10 mentions
60 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and integration with the story and pixel art, but many players find it repetitive due to its reliance on short, 10-second loops that can become tiresome over time. While the soundtrack is considered amazing, the repetitiveness detracts from the overall experience for some players.
- “The soundtrack is also amazing.”
- “Even though the story, music, and pixel art are already great from the very beginning, the gameplay feels unfinished and almost unbearable.”
- “The game is actually well-made and fun to play, but I find the music a little bit repetitive and boring.”
- “A real shame since I really do like the premise, pixel art, and music.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching story about the bond between a dog and his boy, which, despite being poorly written and ham-fisted, manages to evoke feelings. While the game balances humor and emotion, the overall execution is marred by clunky mechanics and average platforming, detracting from the intended impact.
- “It's not as serious as I imagined at first (that forest level is kind of gloomy), but it manages to be both emotional and funny.”
- “Great pixel art and what looked to be a touching story about the relationship between a dog and his boy initially drew me to Balthazar's Dream.”
graphics
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming art style, contributing positively to the overall aesthetic. However, some players feel that the visual feedback during gameplay is lacking, which detracts from the experience. Overall, while the art is appreciated, it may not be enough to elevate the game beyond its forgettable nature.
- “Absolutely love it, love the art style.”
- “The graphics and story felt great.”
- “Balthazar's Dream has occasional charm in its art style.”
- “The timing is bad, and while the graphics and story felt great, I couldn't get over how little feedback you are getting from this game while playing.”
- “Balthazar's Dream is a forgettable platformer with occasional charm in its art style.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is unexpectedly balanced with emotional depth, providing a lighthearted contrast to initially gloomy settings, such as the forest level. Players appreciate this blend, finding it both entertaining and poignant.
- “It's not as serious as I imagined at first (that forest level is kind of gloomy), but it manages to be both emotional and funny.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding elements in the game to be tedious, as certain mechanics, like manipulating objects for platforming, often rely on random luck rather than skill. This can detract from the overall enjoyment, despite the otherwise engaging gameplay.
- “Grinding in this game feels like a never-ending chore, where progress is painfully slow and rewards are minimal.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged; it often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of achievement.”
- “I find the grinding mechanics to be frustratingly tedious, as it often requires hours of mindless repetition to achieve even the smallest upgrades.”